rachelh@myweeklysentinel.com
TROY — Croman Elementary has partnered with Child Hunger Outreach Partners to provide snacks to students in the school.
“We decided to start a program with CHOP at Croman because teachers noticed that many of their students were not bringing a snack to school with them. Teachers who had students without snacks were buying individually packaged snacks to bring in for their students, so no one went without a snack,” said Kyle Bellinger, Croman Elementary School Counselor.
The program can be for students and families who cannot afford to send snacks to school with their student or for students who forget their snack that day. Due to COVID restrictions, only certain snacks are allowed.
“Since all snacks brought in by students and teachers needed to be individually packaged due to Covid restrictions, teachers were spending more of their own money than in past years to help students who did not bring snacks to school.”
Bellinger had spoken with Mr. Zellers, a kindergarten teacher at Croman, about another Bradford County school who partnered with CHOP to provide snacks to their students.
“We thought it would be a great opportunity for Croman to coordinate a program with CHOP too,” said Bellinger.
All students at Croman qualify to get snacks, no matter the reason they have not brought one from home.
Bellinger says that CHOP encourages healthy snacks, such as pretzels, granola bars and more items like that.
The program is also extended into a weekend program in which students in need are able to take weekend snacks home with them on Fridays.
“Through our Outreach Coordinator for the Troy district, we have identified families who need snacks over weekends due to financial difficulties and food insecurity,” he said. “Having the snack program at Croman has helped us as a school identify more students who we may not have known were needing snacks over the weekend. Teachers and I will pack an extra bag of snacks for students in need and send it home with them before the weekend,” said Bellinger, who noted that so far, there are about 7-10 students in need of this program.
The program is not yet year-round but Bellinger says he hopes it will be in the near future.
“Since we just started working with CHOP this school-year, we have not had to opportunity to provide snacks year-round for students. I have discussed the possibility of providing snacks to students who attend summer school programs and believe this is an option that we will provide for our students,” he said.
For more information or to make a donation, go through CHOP at their website at www.chopouthunger.org/take-action.